It’s almost time for Halloween, and now that I’m in medical school, I won’t settle for normal costume ideas anymore. Instead my brain jumps straight to the most dorky thoughts ever.* So, here are my top five costume ideas. I admit that this might not seem hilarious to non-medical students, but hopefully the “nerd-factor” will make anyone smile.
- Doctor- If you’re feeling lazy or maybe not that “into” Halloween, this is especially for you. You have a white coat with an official badge, and maybe you even have a stethoscope and scrubs. This is the perfect costume just waiting to be, and feel free to spice it up by mixing clothes and make-up with the coat. For example, “sexy” doctor, doctor clown, zombie doctor, or pirate doct-ARRR!
- Gram Negative/ Gram Positive Bacteria- This costume is perfect for a couple. One person wears something dark purple or blue, and the other person wears red or pink. Now, see who gets it. These people will be your real molecular buddies.
- Frank Netter- We all have his book, so let’s pay tribute to our favorite artist and author. Wear a collared shirt and borrow some glasses. Pack some pencils and brushes into your pockets. If you own any Netter’s flash cards, use safety pins to attach your favorite pictures to your shirt, such as cross-sections of genitalia or the head. Brilliant!
- Neuron- The human body is the perfect shape to be… a neuron! Your head will be the cell body. This costume requires a little preparation, so if you’re feeling crafty this is for you. You’ll need a bike helmet or a hat, and some pipe cleaners. Attach the pipe cleaners to your head piece to form dendrites. Your body will be the axon, so pin little circles of paper with the correct proportion of neurotransmitters onto your shirt. Don’t forget about the important receptors and G-proteins. Use any extra pipe-cleaners to twist around your limbs and make dendritic spines. If you have anything that collects static, such as a wool sweater, then you can shock people too! You’ll be the “spark” of the party.
- Dermatomes- This is for the person who is bold and warm-blooded. First you’ll need to buy a cheap pair of spandex leggings and a sports bra, or guys could get away with just a speedo. Then, ask a medical student friend to help you with the drawing. Using sharpie markers, outline the dermatomes on your body and carefully label them with the proper spinal levels. It might help if you get down on all fours (like a doggy) while your friend draws on you from head to toe. Remember that there is a lot of confusion below the waist, so just follow whatever feels best to you. This costume will get you lots of attention all night long!
*Disclaimer: I will not actually be dressing up as any of these for Halloween.
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I like your idea of using gram positive and negative bacteria costumes to exclude those of us who wouldn’t get the joke. THANKS A LOT, LIZ.
All kidding aside, I have a jack-o-lantern in the making that will be homeless on Halloween because apartment buildings aren’t really ideal for setting out jack-o-lanterns (what do I do, put in on the sidewalk?).
Will you adopt my jack-o-lantern? I can deliver it on Friday. It’s not finished yet, but it promises to be a good one!